Quips, Quilts, and Quidditch
by YouCanCallMe MrsMalfoy
Summary: Hermione follows the Weasley's out to the pitch to watch a friendly quidditch game, an event that wasn't uncommon during the pre-war days. Although this match may prove to be significantly different than the rest...at least for our favorite bookworm and a certain red-headed twin. Written for the Twin Exchange!


A/N: Alrighty, so this is my first time taking a try at the Twin Exchange monthly challenge. I've always wanted to write something for FredxHermione and figured this was the best time to. Just a heads up, this isn't DH compatible...only because I am still in major denial with what happened to my most beloved character. Anyways, without further ado...

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot.

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It was on a cool, spring day that Hermione found herself falling into a habit that she had, for years, taken for granted. With the war still fresh behind them, it seemed unreal that she was actually able to relax again.

Her fingers clutched the edge of the binding as she flicked the previously bunched up material, causing it to separate. After another, slightly more firm flick, she watched as the object spread before her and expanded to the maximum potential area on the vibrant green grass.

Despite the chill still present in the air, she laid down and relaxed. Her fingers reached out to grab the extra blanket she had brought with her. An internal struggle took place, her brain trying to find the most logical use for the blanket. Should she use it for additional warmth, or as a pillow to avoid her neck becoming sore?

Remembering that her sole purpose for being there was to look ahead, she opted for the latter. She bunched up the blanket and shoved it behind her head. Her body wiggled ever so slightly as she got comfortable, allowing the lush grass underneath to act as a cushion.

A sigh escaped her lips as she instinctively reached for her book. Her delicate finger pulled at the page sectioned off before the scarlet Gryffindor bookmark and let a small smile cross her lips as she let her eyes find the exact word she had left off on. It wasn't until nearly a chapter later that she heard the door swing open and unmistakable conversations growing slightly louder by the second.

She set her book down, resting it gently on her chest, as she turned to look down the pathway that led from the Burrow to the hill she was currently perched on. The smile tugged at her lips again as she watched the mob of red hair move closer, clad in so many different shades and hues of green that she had to fight to resist the urge laugh. She thought back momentarily to that night in the tent after the Quidditch World Cup when the twins had danced around in outfits similar to theirs now, bragging about the amazing win of the Irish team they had so vehemently supported.

She was pulled back from the memory of the day when she heard one of the mentioned boys talk to her casually as he broke from the group to stand by her. He plopped down on the covered grass for a minute and smiled his usual goofy grin. Hermione had to fight back a blush, knowing there was no other reason he had left the group than to talk to her. He waved his hand in front of her face and she realized for the first time she had spaced out.

"Hello? Earth to Mione..." She shook her head to clear her thoughts and gave him a small smile. She chose to ignore the little nickname, having grown somewhat accustomed to it.

"Yeah, sorry. What's up?" He let out a small chuckle and shook his head as a look crossed his face, showing amusement and an emotion Hermione couldn't register before it disappeared.

"I said..." He paused, speaking now in a voice that was obviously meant to be an imitation of his own. "Why aren't you coming to _play_ with us?"

She had the fight back a laugh and rolled her eyes playfully. "You know why Fred. The real question is why you still bother asking."

Fred froze for a second before returning to his usual composure. He still wasn't used to being identified accurately. He puffed out his chest and ran his fingers through his hair, doing his best to look as studly as possible. His voice spoke as if what he was saying was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because I'm such a handsome and attentive gentleman. Of course I'd do everything I could to get you to _come_." This time, Hermione's laugh couldn't be contained and she burst out into a small fit of giggles.

"Whatever you say, Weasley. You're still not getting me on a broom!" Fred studied her face for any hint at caving and sighed when he saw no hope.

"Fine, I tried. I'll just have to break it to everyone that we have uneven teams, _again,_ thanks to some broad that was somehow able to resist my smoldering good looks and persuasive innuendos."

He stood gracefully from the ground, a triumphant grin spread across her face as he caught a glimpse of her rosy red cheeks. Clearly she hadn't been looking at his response with a dirty mind. He shot her another glance over his shoulder, giving her an innocent grin, before racing off to join the sea of red and green.

Hermione's face wasn't able to gain its normal composure until the family, plus Harry of course, kicked off of the ground. She watched them soar through the air a few times as his words floated through her head again. It wasn't until after a few points were scored that she was able to relax and focus on the game.

Her eyes flicked silently from player to player, her eyes occasionally daring to rest on the twin that had caused her so much embarrassment. She watched in horror, when the score was 20-22, as he turned, catching her gaze as he so effortlessly struck a bludger. Having realized that their eyes had met, he flashed her a wink, quickly followed by a wide grin.

Her cheeks flushed with color, both from his handsome acknowledgment to her and the embarrassment of being caught staring. She pulled her book off of her chest, using the thick leather-bound cover to hide her face from his teasing eyes.

It wasn't until she had read the same page for the twentieth time that she realized she was too distracted to read. She slipped her bookmark back between the pages and set it gently next to her. Knowing she would only embarrass herself more by watching, she softly closed her eyes, intending on listening to the cheers of her friends to tell her how the game was progressing.

She quickly felt sleep claim her but was too exhausted to move of fight off the nap that was calling to her. Her eyes opened and she found herself still laying on the red and gold quilt that had become her safe haven on so many summer days.

Mrs. Weasley, a woman that had truly become a second mother to her, had crafted the masterpiece for her. She thought back and smiled at the memory of the day she had received the most thoughtful gift she had ever been given.

It was a normal Christmas day, the one during her fifth year at Hogwarts to be exact. She had plans to ski with her parents, but after learning of Mr. Weasley's accident, she cancelled her trip and found herself at the Burrow for the holidays.

She woke up early, with the rest of the family and smiled kindly as the wrapped gifts were passed out by Mrs. Weasley. The woman smiled proudly at the gifts, all approximately the same size. Why she bothered wrapping the packages when all of the children knew exactly what lay in store for them was a mystery that all of the children discussed when out of earshot of the wonderful woman.

It was to Hermione's utter shock and surprise when she was handed a second wrapped present, this one much larger and heavier than the first. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her eyes turned up to meet the woman. The warm smile on her second mother's face grew even wider as she patted the top of her head lovingly.

"Happy Christmas dear, we're so glad you could join us." Hermione, who was usually very excellent at hiding her emotions, struggled to keep from tearing up at the tenderness of the moment. She tore into the wrappings on the second gift and felt her mouth fall slightly in shock.

She balled up the wrappings, the crinkle of the paper not enough to pull her from her stupor as she stared at the scarlet and gold material. She spread it out as far as her arms would allow and looked up at Mrs. Weasley with a still-shocked expression.

"It's a quilt, dear. I thought it would be nice when you go and watch the boys." The older woman's face held a loving smile and Hermione stood from her seat. One hand held the fabric tightly against her chest while her free arm wrapped around the woman.

"Thank you so much...it's amazing!" Mrs. Weasley hugged her back before pulling away and patting her cheek lovingly. "Of course, it's the least I could do for keeping my boys out of trouble."

It was then that Ginny piped up, speaking in a mocking tone. "See boys, it's her daughters that stay out of trouble. You should take notes..." Hermione smiled warmly, her heart fluttering as the room filled with laughter and the memory faded.

Her mind brought her back to the field again, this time her moments with Fred were being visualized and relived. She watched as he leaned slightly towards her, acting macho and trying to get a rise out of her, the perversion now totally apparent. She giggled again, expecting him to stand and leave as he had before.

But this time he stayed.

This time he kept leaning forward, ever so slowly.

Hermione was rooted in her spot, unable to move or speak at all. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt his lips brush lightly against her ear.

"Hermione..."

His voice came out as a whisper, causing a rush of shivers to travel down her spine.

"Hermione..."

Just as she felt his teeth nibble on her earlobe, her eyes shot open.

They were overcome by the shades of sunset, panic suddenly rushing over her as she realized she had fallen asleep for longer than anticipated. She moved to sit up but noticed that her body had been covered in two bright green jackets. Her eyes darted around until they eventually came to rest on the quilt next to her.

Where once her book had laid, now rested Fred Weasley, clad in only an emerald green thermal, the shamrocks still painted on his cheeks. He had used the section of blanket that had poked out from her 'pillow' as a pillow of his own. She noticed, with bright red cheeks, that he was laying on his side, facing her. She looked down again at the jackets and her blush grew even more intense.

Her eyes nervously flicked up to his face, expecting to see mockery. But instead, he wore a set of red cheeks that matched his hair and the same unidentifiable expression as he had possessed earlier that day. Her hands emerged from under the jackets as she moved to take them off to return them to him but he put up a hand to halt her.

"No, it's fine. You were freezing. Get warm first and then we can head inside."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but her body involuntarily shivered and she realized resisting would be futile. She nodded, nervously turning on her side to face him. "T-thank you. You must be freezing too."

Fred's eyes drifted down to the quilt, hoping she wouldn't noticed how his cheeks lightly grew in color. "It's nothing, really. I'm still hot from playing."

It was then that Hermione realized they were the only two outside. She looked over to him, her eyebrows furrowed again. "Where is everyone?"

He shook his head, laughing a little. "You're slow sometimes, you know?" He smiled wide at her, finally brave enough to meet her eyes again. "They're getting ready for dinner. My team lost so I got stuck cleaning up everything." He sighed and gave her a playful smirk. "It's probably because we're down a player and were outnumbered." Hermione rolled her eyes, although the guilt was still present.

After all the family had done for her, the least she could have done was play a stupid game of quidditch with them. Her eyes clouded over slightly as she became lost in her thoughts. Fred noticed her zone out and took the time to admire the way her features gleamed in the small amount of sunlight left in the day. He studied her face for another second before mustering a small amount of courage.

"Why won't you ever fly? Do you hate brooms that much?"

Hermione's eye snapped back up to him and she sighed quietly in relief when she noticed no mockery in his face or tone.

"You're skilled on a broom. You don't understand what it's like...at least you wouldn't if I told you." She paused awkwardly, her eyes dropping in embarrassment. His eyes traced her face, looking for the right words to say.

"Try me..." he challenged, although his words came out more hopeful than demanding. For the second time that conversation, she was shocked to see no mockery and sighed as she readied herself.

"That first day a broom was put in my hand in class, I just knew it wasn't going to bode well for me. I'm the type...I guess I'm used to always excelling at whatever I do." She paused awkwardly and Fred became aware that this speech wasn't rehearsed, that she was speaking from the heart and not from a preconceived answer.

"That sounds conceded. What I mean is, I'm used to having complete management over what I'm doing. Like with a wand, I know what will happen when I use it and have total control. If something happens, I know how to defend myself and avoid injury." She looked down at the quilt beneath them, for a split second the scarlet and gold mocking her admittance that she lacked Gryffindor bravery when it came to the simplest of tasks. "It's different when I'm flying. There's a gap, much larger than I care to even imagine, that separates myself from the ground. And I have no Dumbledore to protect me with wand-less magic. If I were to falter, I'd be injured and would have nobody to blame but myself."

She absent mindedly traced the patchwork stitches on the soft material, a habit she had formed when the blanket was used during the times she had showed up to watch their quidditch practices. "And you guys didn't really help much either." She let a small smile cross her lips but didn't dare look up to meet Fred's eyes.

His face remained emotionless as he processed the secrets she had shared. Her last line cause a ghost of a smile to cross his lips and he looked at her expectantly, speaking in a joking tone as he tried to lighten to mood slightly.

"Don't pin that on me Granger! Explain yourself!" A smile tugged at the corner of Hermione's mouth as she rolled her eyes again.

"You really don't get it? And I thought you were the smart twin..." Her teasing caught him by surprise and he gasped slightly. Another giggle from her caused him to roll a little closer and poke her cheek lightly with one of his fingers.

"Hey! No laughing at me!" He dropped his face and stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

She blushed at his touch but quickly shook her head in mock disbelief. "Seriously though, your whole family is amazing on a broom. Even if I was brave enough to play with you guys, I would do nothing but get in the way." Fred's face stayed emotionless for a second, unsure of what to say. When she spoke again, his cheeks flushed with color, though he tried to play it off.

"Especially you Fred, you make it look so easy..." Her voice dripped with envy and her eyes dropped in embarrassment.

The air between them stayed silent as they both processed what had been said. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips as he replayed her words in his head. His eyes traveled down and noticed her nervous expression, wondering if admitting that she wasn't the the best at something had really taken so much out of her.

Without thinking, he reached his hand out again, this time finding her chin instead of poking her cheek. He tugged lightly to bring her gaze back up to meet his and smiled nervously, suddenly aware of the mere inches that separated them as they lay on the quilt.

"You can't be the best at everything you know." He smiled reassuringly and kept speaking when he noticed her trying to talk. He chose to tease lightly, wanting to see her smile again. "And besides, if you can't, don't you think I'm the best one to take your spot? It's only fair that I get to be best at something for once. With the infamous Hermione Granger around and a twin that's equally as attractive and cunning as me, it's a new feeling for me, too."

Hermione's mouth hung open slightly as realization dawned on her. Here she was, complaining about not being amazing at every single thing she had ever done, and he had a twin that he always had to share his glory with.

She gave him a reassuring smile and met his eyes, her cheeks glowing as she thought of what she was going to say. If either of the young adults noticed his fingers still planted beneath her chin, neither bothered to mention it.

"For the record, my vote would go towards you as the more handsome and mischievous twin, hands down." Just as expected the blush crawled back onto Fred's cheeks, but he tried to play it off, in an attempt to keep his cool and debonair appearance. He scooted a little closer to her on the quilt, speaking teasingly.

"Oh really? Well then, Miss. Granger, why was I not able to convince you to join me earlier? Shouldn't this face have been enough?" His features warped into a smirk that she imagined he thought made him look the most attractive. She giggled a little and rolled her eyes, reaching out to poke his cheek as he had earlier.

"Ah, but you didn't ask me to _join_ you, you asked me to ride a broom of my own. Big difference..." His eyes widened slightly, shocked by her answer as his eyes darted over her face.

"Really? So if I asked you to join me, you would?" Hermione blushed, suddenly realizing that there were only a couple inches between their faces as he had slowly leaned forward during his joking. She made no sign of moving and smiled lightly when she noticed he hadn't either. Her thoughts traveled back to their conversation about his lack of bragging rights and she nodded slowly as a response.

His eyes shot open and the excitement on his face was enough to assure her she had chosen wisely. "Thank you Mione! You have no clue how much that means to me..." The smile on his face was contagious and she felt one of her own growing.

As the sun had finally finished setting, their eyes met again and stayed locked, as did the smiles on both of their faces. Neither of them noticed as their faces started to inch together.

Hermione felt her eyes fluttering shut when the shrill cry of Mrs. Weasley from the Burrow pulled them from their moment. The cry that dinner was ready caused their heads to pull back again. Hermione noticed a look that seemed to show regret cross his features as he sat up slowly.

She set to work, freeing her limbs from the coats. She handed them back to Fred, but he only took one of them. "I'm fine, really. You wear it."

Hermione nodded, filling the arms of the jacket and pulling the rest to cover her body. She was overwhelmed by the Fred's scent, one she hadn't realized she had become accustomed to due to their close proximity minutes before. She readied her things and reached down to grab her quilt.

The twin helped her fold the fabric, staying silent. He reached down to grab the rest of her things as she held the now-folded material in her arms. It wasn't until they had nearly reached the door of the house that she heard his whisper.

"Tonight, after everyone's asleep..."

Hermione nodded quietly as she entered through the door he held open for her. She draped her quilt over the back of the couch and followed Fred into the kitchen, the smell of corned beef and cabbage wafting to them as they took their places at the table.

The rest of the night passed by quickly. Mr. Weasley had returned home, dressed in his ministry robes. She noticed the smirks cross the twins faces as they reached out to pinch their father, the first to notice he had failed to meet the requirements of the tradition. The action had caused the house to erupt in laughter and the elder Weasley rushed upstairs to change into something that would evoke a little less pain.

After the family had retired to the living room and had broken off to play various games of wizard's chess and exploding snap, Hermione threw her quilt over her legs again and resumed reading her book from earlier.

It was because of her bookworm tendencies that she missed the wordless conversation transpiring between the two twins. George shooting Fred a curious expression when he noticed his eyes flicker to the bit of her face protruding from the book. Fred tried to roll his eyes and act as though his brother was overreacting, but there was no fooling the bonds of twindom.

When the family had started to retreat to their rooms, George made a huge gesture of going to bed. Fred quickly joined in, although confused by his actions.

To his horror, he watched as he moved over to bid Hermione goodnight. She laughed at his antics, rolling her eyes playfully as he talked of the regret he had of parting with her for the night. She felt her cheeks light up slightly at the thought that it wouldn't be the last time seeing Fred for the evening.

The small touch of color would have gone unnoticed to the untrained eye. But to George it was all he needed.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow..." he quoted poetically, swooping down to place a kiss on her right cheek.

He met his twin's eyes and watched as the blush spread across Fred's cheek. He knew he had trapped his brother. If he didn't follow along, he'd raise suspicions, but if he followed through, it would make things awkward. Shaking off his nerves, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against her left cheek.

"That I shall say good night till it be morrow." He finished, his voice taking the poetic tone to match his brothers. Fred reached out and slapped his brother on the back, turning him towards the stairs. "Come on brother, that's enough Shakespeare for one day."

He threw a wave over his shoulder to his family and proceeded up the stairs. Hermione hadn't missed the knowing glance and wink she received from George before he disappeared around the corner. She waited an appropriate amount of time before excusing herself, making sure there was no chance of running into the twins on her way to Ginny's room.

It wasn't until Ginny's heavy snores filled the room that she finally rose from her bed. She dressed quickly, pulling on a simple pair of dark blue jeans, boots, and her newest jumper that donned the large "H" on the front.

With a small smile, she pulled his jacket over her shoulders again, resisting the urge to sigh as she was overwhelmed with his scent. She took a deep breath to clear her thoughts and worked on getting outside. Her years of experience at the Burrows had taught her the correct places to step to avoid any noise from sounding through the house.

With slow steps she eventually made it outside and blushed slightly when she noticed that Fred was already there, spread out on top of her Gryffindor quilt again. She walked up to it nervously, watching as he turned to look at her. He propped up on his shoulders and smiled at her attire.

"You know it's past midnight, right?" She laughed and shook her head, realizing he was talking about her color choice.

"Oh hush, it's warm and comfortable." Fred pushed off of the ground and smiled down at her. For the first time she realized how much he towered above her.

"Yeah, I know. It's mine, remember?" Hermione blushed and her eyes dropped, unsure of what to say. He took the silence as his cue and bent down to grab the broomstick that resided at his feet. "You ready?"

If he hadn't been studying her features so intently, he would have missed her gentle nod. He handed the broom to her and smiled widely.

"Alright, show me what you've got."

Panic crossed her features as her head snapped up to look at him. He could sense her terror from where he stood and couldn't hold back the laugh as her body looked as though it had been stupefied.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Relief washed over her face and she moved to hand the broom back. "No, climb on..." She looked up at him nervously but his smile edged her forward and she climbed on.

Fred silently thanked himself for choosing to do this at night, the darkness hiding the bright blush that had flushed his cheeks. He swung his leg over the handle and positioned himself a few inches behind her.

"Alright, hold on..." She sent a panicked look over her shoulder and he did his best to reassure her as his arms wrapped around her body to grab the handle in front of her

"We'll start off low." He assured, using his strength to kick off of the ground. He hovered there for a minute as he felt her body become rigid with fear. "Alright, I'm going to pull up a little..." He paused for a second to let it sink in as his hands pulled up on the handle, causing the broom to lift slightly.

The new height, although she couldn't see through her tightly squeezed eyes, caused a new wave of panic. She backed up in fear, her back landing against his chest as she sought the comfort of his arms. Fred felt his own body freeze, slightly nervous at being so close to the girl he had come so close to kissing earlier.

He tapered off the broom, resting at a mere five feet off of the ground. Surely this wouldn't be too bad for the first time.

His arms instinctively wrapped around her more, acting as the harness that would keep her safe. He slowly pushed forward, mentally reprimanding himself for not warning her first. As the minutes passed, he felt her muscles start to relax as he led them in lazy patterns across the homemade quidditch pitch. Even as her body lost it's rigid feel, he kept the pace slow and unwavering. He leaned over slightly and noticed that her eyes were still firmly shut, although not held with the force and determination they had earlier.

A smile crossed his face as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, wanting to avoid frightening her. "You can open your eyes now, you're safe I promise." He felt her take a deep breath, the closeness of her body on his chest making the inhale impossible to hide.

She slowly peaked one eye open, looking forward as she resisted the urge to look down at what she feared would be her death. As she realized she wasn't going to die, her eyes opened like normal and she found the view to be less frightening than she imagined. She turned her head around as she took in her surroundings. Somehow the small distance she was in the air gave her a different outlook on the area. Fred watched in silent amusement as she relaxed completely in his arms. When he was sure she was comfortable, he spoke quietly.

"Would you like me to go a little higher?" Hermione considered the idea and shook her head slowly. It took all of Fred's willpower to hide his disappointment, realizing their little rendezvous was already over. "At least not tonight, ok? Maybe next time?"

Fred had to turn away to hide the stupid grin that spread across his face. "Of course. Maybe even a little faster, too."

Hermione giggled and shook her head. "Don't push your luck, Weasley."

The two shared a smile at the silence that surrounded them. He led them around the field a few more times, each lap increased the regret that the night was coming to an end, but neither exactly sure what to say to keep it from happening. When they could avoid it no longer, Fred wrapped his arms a little tighter around her petite body and whispered in her ear again.

"Alright, I'll land us. Hold on tight." Hermione did as she was commanded and was even brave enough to keep her eyes open as he softly and expertly touched his feet to the ground again.

He kicked his leg from around the broom and helped her climb off as well. With a quick smile, he jogged over to place the broomstick back in the rickety shed and left Hermione to her thoughts. The blush crawled back onto her cheeks as she remembered the closeness. A shiver ran through her body as she realized how much colder she was without the warmth of his back to keep her from the harsh early spring weather.

Fred arrived and stood before her, noticing as her body shook slightly. For the second time, he removed his coat and draped it over her. She blushed and opened her mouth to protest but he shook his head, dismissing her words.

"Since you like stealing my jackets so much, might as well add another to your collection."

Overcome by the intimacy of flying and the sweetness of the gesture, Hermione found herself standing on tiptoe to press her ice-cold lips against his wind chilled clean-shaven cheek. When her feet leveled on the ground again, the redness returned to their faces.

They stood their awkwardly for a minute, unsure of where to go from there. Fred, being the jokester that he was, decided to use one of his usual methods to get the talking to resume and to relieve the potential awkwardness.

"If that's all I get for my hard work, you can contact my slightly less handsome and less debonair twin for your next flying lesson..." His teasing was obvious, judging both by his tone and his slightly upturned expression.

He paused nervously, and when he heard no giggle or reply at all, he began to panic. His eyes turned back down to look at her, expecting a slap or some kind of upset reaction, but none ever came.

Instead, there stood Hermione Granger, looking more nervous and vulnerable than he had ever seen her. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth, a habit he had noticed over the years that she reserved for reading a particularly interesting book, as she fought for something to say. She suddenly burst to life having seemed to finally come up with a reply. Fred tried not to jump or act startled.

"Good idea, I think I'll go wake him..." She turned, face full of mock determination as she marched towards the Burrow again.

Fred's quidditch reflexes kicked in and he grabbed hold of her elbow swiftly, stopping her from walking any further. He wrapped his arms firmly around her waist and picked her up from behind, lifting her slightly in the air.

"Oh no you don't...I'm not letting that git take you on a broom. If you recall, he's far less skilled than me." He carried the squirming Hermione towards the quilt, smiling as he heard her giggle. Her fighting was an act and he knew right away she had no intentions of escaping his grip. She eventually relaxed in his arms and sighed happily.

When they reached the quilt, he sat her down on it and took the seat next to her.

"True, but I'm sure he wouldn't have such steep fees for the lessons." Hermione laughed again and zipped up the new jacket he had placed on her.

"And I already have all of your coats, now I need his too." Fred couldn't contain his laughter and rolled his eyes playfully, slumping back dramatically on the quilt covered grass.

"I knew it. All the ladies want me for my sexy attire. It's such a curse..." He sighed again dramatically and draped his arm over his eyes, as if to block out the cruel world from his vision. Her heard Hermione laugh again and then silence filled the otherwise empty hill.

Just when he was about to raise his arm off of his eyes to check and ensure she was still there and awake, he felt the same cold set of lips again.

Only this time, they weren't just on his cheek, in what could be mistaken as sisterly affection.

Her lips were planted lightly on top of his own.

His body froze, unable to process what was happening as her lips lingered on his. Just when he had recomposed himself and was going to return the kiss, he felt her pull away.

His eyes shot open and looked up at her, but her face was already filled with rejection and guilt. Her eyes focused solely on the edges of the jacket that had fallen over her hands like gloves. All he could do was stare for a minute as he took in her beauty that was only accentuated thanks to the glow of the moon.

Accepting defeat and embarrassment, she pushed slowly off of the quilt to head inside. "T-thanks again Fred, for taking me flying..."

Just as she was about to stand, he reached out and pulled her back. She looked up at him, surprised and trying to hide the hurt that was easily apparent in her eyes. Her mouth opened to speak again but was silenced by his lips.

It was her turn to be frozen in shock, but the feeling soon wore off and she responded nervously to the kiss. Fred's fingers went up to lightly push the hair behind her ears until his hand finally came to a rest on her cheek. The pad of his thumb traced her cheekbone as she instinctively leaned into his touch. His free hand wrapped around her body and pulled her back as he laid down again.

When they reluctantly pulled back from the kiss, his hand stayed planted firmly on her cheek and their eyes met, no longer fearing rejection. A comfortable silence overwhelmed them as they laid there, her body on top of his, both resting on their houses colors. Her eyes searched his face for answers and was met with a warm smile.

"Well, now I'm definitely not going to let him teach you."

Hermione laughed and laid her head to rest on his chest, smiling when she felt it shake in laughter as well. The two simply laid there, enjoying their new ability to be so close, talking of random things that crossed their minds.

When the sun started to peak over the edge of the hill, both sets of eyes widened. They quickly hurried up from their spot, working to fold the quilt together again. As before, she held it in her arms and walked towards the Burrow.

Only this time, Fred's arm was wrapped firmly around her waist. She moved to enter to door but his hand on her elbow stopped her again.

With one smooth motion he turned her around and planted his lips firmly on hers. This kiss lacked the worry and insecurity and instead was filled to the brim with appreciation and affection.

As Hermione pulled away to head inside and sneak back to the room before being noticed, she flashed him a wide smile.

"Yet another thing you're better than George at..."

Fred smiled at the compliment and watched as she retreated through the door. Her figure had already disappeared from his view and was ascending the stairs before the words registered and panic washed over him, oblivious to her joking tone.

"Hey, wait! What's that supposed to mean?!"

So much for making a quiet and stealthy re-entry...

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A/N: Well, there we have it folks. Just in case anyone was curious, the prompt I chose was Quilt, the quote was "You don't understand.", and the optional theme was St. Patty's day. (Did anyone get my references?) XD Please go ahead and leave me a review, I greatly appreciate them! Thank you so much for reading!


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